Switch-operating mechanism for electric motors



PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904 J. A. MEHRTEN & J. H. HOWARD.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

' APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 6, 1903.

UNITED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT ()EEIoE.

JAMES A. MEHRTEN AND JOHN H. HOWARD, OF EXETER, CALIFORNIA.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS- SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 770,378, dated. September 20, 1904:.

Application filed October 6, 1903.

To all whom it may-concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMEs A. MEHRTEN and JOHN H. HOWARD, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Exeter, in the county of Tulare and Stateof California, have invented a new and useful Switch-Operating Mechanismfor Electric Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in switch-operatingmechanism, and has for its principal object to provide a means forautomatically cutting off the current of an electric motor in the eventof accidental stoppage of the mechanism to which the motor is connected.

The invention, while applicable to machines of various character, isadapted more especially for use in connection with pumping plantswherein the operation of the pump will at times cease from lack of wateror loss of priming.

. A further object of the invention is to provide a switch operatingmechanism in the form of a governor-controlled mechanism that is setinto operation bya portion or all of the water raised or moved by apump.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangementof parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it beingunderstood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, andminor details of the structure may be made without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of aswitch-operating mechanism constructed in accordance With the inventionand illustrating the same as employed in connection with a pump. Fig. 2is a similar 7 view of a portion of the same, the governorshaft and itssupports being shown in section in order to more clearly illustrate theconstruction.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout both figures of the drawings.

Serial No. 175,996. (No model.)

In the drawings, 1 represents a pump that may be of any ordinary type,the pump being operatively connected to an electric motor 2, to whichcurrent is conducted by wires 3. In the circuit is arranged a switch A,that is moved to open position in order to cutoff the current when thepumping operation ceases.

10 indicates a suitable frame having upper and lower ball-bearings 11and 12 for the reception of averticallyrdisposed shaft or spindle 13.The shaft 13 is provided with a pulley 14, connected by a suitable belt15 to a pulley 16, arranged on the same shaft with a small water-wheel17, that is operated by the water issuing from the pump, and thiswaterwheel may be of any ordinary type and arranged in any suitablemanner without departing from the invention, it being understood thatthe water-wheel is suggestive of a movable element which may be in theform of any operative mechanism.

The shaft 13 is hollow, and extending therethrough is a rod or stern 18,the lower end of which is provided with a grooved collar 19 for thereception of a transversely-disposed bar 20, that extends throughvertical slots formed at diametrically opposite points in the hollowshaft 13, so that the shaft and arm may be rotated without effectingcorresponding rotative movement of the rod 18.

To the opposite sides of the shaft 13 are secured horizontal arms 21, towhich are pivoted the upper ends of ball-carrying arms 22, which may beof the type ordinarily employed in centrifugal governors, and said armsare connected by links 23 to the opposite ends of the bar 20, so thatwhen rotative movement is imparted to the governor-shaft theballcarrying arms will raise and maintain the rod 18 in elevatedposition, and when the operation of the shaft ceases the rod 18 willfall.

To the upper member of the supportingframe 10 is secured atransversely-disposed bar 25, having a guiding-opening for the upperportion of the rod 18, and the upper end of said rod is connected to oneend of a trigger 27 in the form of a lever that is pivoted at anintermediate point to a bracket or standard 28, carried by the frame,the opposite end of said lever being provided with an opening 29 for thereception of a pin 30, carried by a pivoted bar 31. The bar 31 has ahinged or pivoted connection with the face portion of the frame, and toits outer face is secured a bracket 32, on which is hung a weight 33,that normally tends to move the bar 31 to the position shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1, this movement being prevented by the engagement of thepin 30 in the opening 29 so long as the shaft 13 is revolving. In orderto limit the movement of the bar 31, it is connected by a flexible chainor cord 34 to the main frame, this serving as a checking means forstopping outward movement of the bar when the latter has assumed theposition shown in dotted lines.

The switch is of the ordinary type and is provided with a handle 37,that is connected by a cord or chain 38 to the weight 33, the cord orchain extending from one or more guiding-shafts 39 in accordance withthe position of the motor and its distance from the governing mechanism.

In the operation of the device the current of water issuing from thepump operates the water wheel or turbine, and through the beltconnection the shaft 13 is rotated so long as the pumping operationcontinues. The governor-arms are maintained in elevated position bycentrifugal force, and the rod 18 is moved upward, so that the outer endof the trigger-lever will be held down to the position shown in fulllines in Fig. 1 and the bar 31 maintained in vertical position. When thepumping operation ceases, the shaft 13 will stop and the governor-armswill fall, resulting in upward movement of the outer end of thetrigger-lever 27 and the release of the pin 30. The weight 33 willthereupon cause the bar 31 to move to the dotted-line position, theoutward movement of said bar being suddenly checked by thechain or cord3 1 and the weight under the impetus of its previous movement slidingfrom the bracket 32 and exerting suflicient downward strain on the cordor chain to move the switch and cut off the supply of current to themotor, so there will be no waste of current should the pump cease itseffective operation from lack of water or loss of priming.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. Incombination, a motor, an energized circuit including a switch, agovernor for controlling the switch, a pump having operative connectionwith the motor, and means operable by the pump-actuated fluid fordriving the governor at a speed dependent on the quantity and pressureof said fluid.

2. In combination, a motor, an energized circuit including a switch, apump having operative connection with the motor, agovernor, aswitch-operating mechanism controlled by the governor, and a meansoperable continuously by the fluid issuing from the pump during all thetime said pump is in operation and connected to said governor.

3. In combination, a motor, an energized circuit including a switch, arevoluble governor having operative connection with the switch, a pumpoperatively connected to the motor, a revoluble member operable by thecurrent of fluid actuated by the pump, and a means for connecting saidrevoluble member to said governor.

4:. A switch-operating mechanism comprising a governor, means foroperating the same, a weight-carrying member normally locked by thegovernor, and a Weight carried by said member and connected to theswitch, said weight being released when the operation of the governorceases.

5. In combination, a pivotally-mounted bar having a weight-supportingbracket, a weight hung thereon, a switch to which said weight isconnected, a revoluble governor including a shaft and a movable stem orrod, means for operating the governor, a pivotally-mounted trigger-leverconnected to said stem or rod, said trigger-lever having an opening, anda pin carried by the pivoted arm and adapted to said opening.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaflixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. MEHRTEN. JOHN H. HOWARD. Witnesses:

BARNARD MEHRTEN, HENRY EWING.

